Temperances Tale
by jaed621
Summary: For May's CBPC. A fairytale told in a time of need. Please RR, BB of course.


Temperance's Tale

For CBPC for May

Disclaimer: I don't own them and I'm fairly certain that I never will.

**Warning: Rated T for content and a tissue warning to BonesDBchippie just to be safe.**

Temperance snaps her seat belt and adjusts the mirror so she can see Parker in the back seat as well as the road. He's a tad shorter in the new booster safety seat than he had been in the toddler car seat but despite this adjustment the booster is clearly a sign that he's now a big boy and no longer a baby. This is a fact that he likes to obsessively reiterate to anyone that will listen.

"Are you ready to go see your dad, Parker?" She smiles at him in the mirror, playing the game that has become a custom between them since she has been picking him up for Seeley.

"Yeah! Let's go see daddy!" The boy's eyes sparkle with delight as he falls into the sequence with her.

"Do you have your backpack?" She can't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm and she's willing to admit that her joy is not only spontaneous in response to Parker but genuine in her own desire to see his daddy.

"Check!" He yells giggling from the back seat as though she's a block away.

"Do you have your pillow?" She's starting to understand how just being around this child makes Seeley so happy. His dark eyes seem to sparkle and dance as he replies.

"Check!" She sees him temporarily disappear behind a blue pillowcase covered in red and yellow dinosaurs that he holds up for her to see.

"Do you have your blanket?"

"Check!" Once again his shining face disappears but this time it's behind a worn yellow blanket with a tattered silk border. The blanket has been the center of more than one discussion between her and his father. Seeley has repeatedly voiced his concerns about the boy still being so attached to a blanket at six years old. At a loss, Temperance had researched the subject and assured Booth that at barely six, Parker was well within normal for the comfort of a security blanket. _He'll walk away from it when he's ready_ was the accepted theory. He had flinched when she told him children of divorced and separated parents tended to abandon their blankets later that other children. She didn't say it to hurt him, just to let him know that Parker was fine and that the ability to self comfort was a necessary part of his development. She had even tried to ease his thoughts by reminding him that Parker only asked for it at night or when he was particularly frightened. In the end he said he understood but she saw how he looked at the blanket whenever Parker wasn't in the room, as though it had a suspicious nature which required watching.

"Do you have your juice box?" She was laughing again because when she looks in the mirror he's holding the box, waiting for her to ask. She's impressed by his memory of the order of questions and rewards him with a revving of the engine that makes him squeal with delight.

"Check! Let's go see daddy!" She pulls out, more than happy to comply. She's picked Parker up from his school at least a dozen times and although it's out of the way the scenic drive back into the city is really only about twenty five minutes but it's only ten from Rebecca's house so it works for them. She relaxes and pulls onto the two lane highway that serves as a back road to the expressway. She's following the second arching curve when her phone rings and a flash catches her eye. The SUV in her lane passing a truck is barreling at them and she locks the brakes, trying desperately to slow the car onto the shoulder but there just isn't enough room. The trucks horn is sounding and the tires of her car bite the gravel just as the SUV slams into them. Temperance tries to hold on but the impact sends the car through the rail and suddenly she is being jolted hard against her seat belt as they tumble over the side. She hears screaming and realizes it's her own voice mixed with Parker's that rise from the sound of crushing metal and shattering glass. The noise is deafening and she's lost all orientation as they roll so she closes her eyes and waits for everything to stop.

They seem to tumble for a long time, the car turning over and over through the air before slowly coming to a stop.

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"Agent Booth, breaks over, let's finish this meeting up so we can all go home." Cullen slaps his back as he walks by and Seeley stares at his phone before closing it. Temperance must be in the school getting Parker and couldn't answer her cell. He'll try her again after the meeting.

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Temperance opens her eyes and squints against the smoke, she tries to move but her shoulder strikes something hard and pain shoots through her hip and leg. The car is hissing and popping but she doesn't see any flames and the crisp scent in the smoke is antifreeze and oil, there is only a feint trace of gasoline. She decides they aren't on fire and waves her hand in front of her face as the smoke begins to dissipate. The inside of the car is eerily quiet and the lack of sound is what terrifies her the most.

"Parker?" Her voice is scratchy from the smoke and the screaming, she remembers that she was screaming, but so was he. She draws a deep breath and a pain in her chest flares up with a vegence but she forces the air and raises her voice. "PARKER!" She tries to twist around and realizes that the roof of the car is completely crushed, trapping her in the front seat with her hips and legs pinned by the dash and steering wheel. Her body's contorted, her torso twisting across the passenger side. Time seems suspended as she tries to picture Parker, tries to remember if the booster seat left him above the level of the seats. "PARKER!" She's crying, she can feel the tears dripping down her face and she struggles in panic. Pain surges through her and she cries out, noticing as the smoke clears that its blood dripping off her chin. It's the reddest blood she's ever seen, almost brilliant as it trickles onto the edge of the black leather, gathering in the seam and disappearing against the darkness. Just as she hangs her head she hears it, a whimper from the back seat. "Parker, can you talk to me?"

She hears him start to cry and her chest tightens painfully. She has to figure out how to get to him but she can't hold her thoughts together.

"Parker, its Dr. Bones, we were in an accident in the car and I need you to tell me if you're hurt. What parts of you hurt buddy?" She blinks and notices that she can see out a small triangular space that was once the passenger window. The horizon is crooked and pale red. She blinks again before it occurs to her that her left eye is filled with blood and the car must be either perched at an angle or still resting on an incline. She hears the sob from the back seat and drops her head, her voice cracking this time.

"Parker, I know you're scared but there are people on the road and I'm sure they have called for help. Help is coming, now let's talk about how you're doing until they get here." She offers the idea of help hoping that it's true. She remembers that there was a truck but is unsure about the details of the accident at the moment.

"Is daddy coming?" His voice is a broken whine that tears through her and a sob chokes from her as her head throbs.

Her voice is trembling but she wants to keep him talking. "I'm sure he is Parker. He'll come as fast as he can." At the thought of his father she hears his crying escalate and her own sobs can no longer be contained. She starts to think it through then, an emergency call, travel time, a rescue team on the hill and cutting them out of the car. They're going to be here for a while even if everything goes smoothly. "Parker, are you still in your seat?"

"Yes, but I can't get out and it's dark." She hears him moving, testing his space but it also means at least some of his limbs are functioning without injury. He's still crying but with small gasps as he speaks. Temperance is warm and the sensation gets her attention as she once again tries to move. Assessing her own injuries she realizes that her situation isn't good, bleak is the word that actually comes to mind. Her hip, pelvic and leg are broken, her foot and probably both ankles have multiple fractures. Her right arm and wrist have compound fractures and her ribs are broken, puncturing her left lung but it's the head injury and the internal bleeding that have her concerned because they will threaten her consciousness and eventually, her life. Parker is whimpering, his fear palpable in the tight space.

"Parker, can you wiggle all your fingers?" He stops making any sound, obviously surprised by her question.

"Yes." She hears the curiosity in him and can imagine the look on his face; the thought brings her a weak smile.

"This is just like our question game Parker. I'm going to ask you and you're going to check things off, okay?" She feels his hesitation.

"Then my daddy will be here?" Seeley, she can't think of Seeley right now, it's too much and she needs to concentrate.

"Then I'll tell you a story until help arrives to get us out of here." She tries to sound light, wanting him to believe in the ease of her words. "Now, can you move both of your arms?"

As he cries out she knows they're in trouble.

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Seeley is agitated and not listening to a word being said. He gets up from the table and slips from the room. Walking down the hall he flips open his phone and once again tries Temperance's cell but gets no answer. It doesn't make sense, she should be home by now, or very close to it. He calls her home phone but it too goes unanswered. His stomach churns and he tries to push the feeling away. He dials the school, flexing his fingers and pacing in the hallway.

"Hello, Washington Elementary, how may I help you?" The woman's voice is unnaturally chipper. He finds chipper very annoying at the moment but puts on his best professional voice.

"This is Seeley Booth and my son Parker was being picked up by Dr. Temperance Brennan today. I'm unable to reach them and I need to know if she has picked him up yet. He's in Miss Temple's class." He struggles not to sound too impatient.

"Just a moment please." She puts him on hold before he can respond but is back rather quickly.

"What is your son's security word Mr. Booth?" She sounds suspicious as if she expects him to be an imposter.

"Watermelon, his security word is watermelon. Has my son left the building?" He can't explain his sense of rising panic and the edge is heard in his question. Maybe it's just the fact that his son needs a security word that presses his buttons.

"Yes, Mr. Booth, Dr. Brennan picked him up about a half an hour ago. Is there anything else I can do for you?" Despite his aggravation he's a little relieved that Bones has been to the school, maybe he just missed her with his calls. He heads back into the meeting, slipping into his chair and trying to look humble as several glances are shot his way.

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Getting Parker through the questions has been taxing and Temperance fights to keep her focus. The immediate shock has worn off and waves of pain wash over her, the nausea is constant now and she can taste the metallic residue of blood in the back of her throat.

"Dr. Bones?" His voice sounds small and far away and she forces her head up so she can speak to him. She pivots slightly and a burning sensation rips from her pelvis up her back, lifting her good arm she shoves her hand in the small space left between the seats behind her. She wiggles her fingers for a moment before feeling the soft skin and tight grip of his hand curl around them. His palm is sweaty but his grip is strong and warm and she can hear his chest hitch with more tears.

"I'm here Parker; every thing is going to be okay. We just have to wait for them to come get us out." In the distance she can hear sirens and she musters her strength. "How about I start that story Parker?" Her voice is weak but she tries to sound as normal as possible.

"Okay!" For that one moment he sounds hopeful and so she pretends that she's hopeful too but as she draws a breath she can feel the air rasp and gurgle around in the small space that is all that's left of her lung.

"Once upon a time…" Temperance pauses, she's woozy and trying to think of a story to tell when Parker pipes up from the back seat.

"The Three Little Pigs, Dr. Bones, from my Grimms Fairy Tales Book. You know the one with the _wolf_." He speaks the last word in a reverent fearful whisper and she can see his face as if he is sitting in front of her. The two stories he requests most often from the book are The Three Little Pigs and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. He just isn't thrilled by the princess stories although he'll request one every now and then. He is far more excited by the bears and the wolf and the many voices used to animate these two tales. Temperance sighs softly, knowing she doesn't have the wind or the strength for that particular story but more than willing to try. If they aren't too far down the embankment the crews will be reaching them soon. She turns her head slightly, looking at the roof pressing down on her where the material is torn down to the metal. She knows Parker is just on the other side of the seat, pitched forward and wedged down. She tries to adjust her position but her elbow slides on the seat in a sticky patch of her blood, the bile and copper threaten at the back of the throat again and she gasps softly, fighting to get enough air.

"Okay bub, once upon a time there were three little pigs that were all grown up and left their parents to see the world." The telling is slow, punctuated by shallow rattling breaths. "They played all summer and fall but as the first cool winds of winter breezed over them, they realized they would need to build a house to stay warm during the cold months ahead."

"And to save them from the wolf, right Dr. Bones?" He's always excited to get to the wolf part and Temperance is relieved to hear this much normalcy in him. She can hear voices in the distance now and knows there are people out there trying to get to them.

"Yes Parker, and to save them from the wolf. The three brothers all discuss the houses they want to build. The laziest pig wants to build a house of straw because this will only take him one day and he'll still have time to play. The second pig is almost as lazy and he decides on a house of wood because it will only take two days and will be stronger than the straw of his foolish brother." She hears Parker giggle just briefly in the back seat, anticipating the story and despite their circumstances she smiles, thinking that no matter what happens, at least he's alright.

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Seeley's phone rings and he looks in confusion at the caller i.d. before his stomach drops. He jumps up and walks quickly into the hall, knowing the police rarely call with good news. He flips the phone open but barely manages a hello.

"Hello, may I please speak to Special Agent Seeley Booth."

"This is Booth."

"Agent Booth, this is Officer Hamlin of the Highway Patrol and I am sorry to inform you that there has been an accident. The license plates on the car and witness identification lead us to believe that the vehicle belongs to Temperance Brennan." Time has warped into a painfully slow rolling wave around him and although he hears his own voice it seems like an echo in his ears.

"My son is in the car with her, tell me they're alright." The silence on the end of the phone is deafening and Booth raises his voice. "TELL ME what you know right now or when I get there my first order of business will be to rip your throat out." He can't believe the words even as he utters them. He knows the officer is only following protocol, the family is spared details until an officer is present in case there is a heart attack or other medical emergency in response to the news.

"Her car was hit on highway 23 heading south into the city. It went through the rail and over the embankment about two miles from the Washington exit. Emergency and rescue crews are on the scene trying to reach the car although up to this point there has been no sign of life but as you know sir, they could just be unconscious..."

Seeley doesn't hear anything after the words _no sign of life_. He knows the exact stretch of road and the picture in his mind is brutal. It's a long fall for a small car, _through the rail and over the embankment_. He has to get to them, they're going to be fine, he just has to get to them. His brain can not grasp any other option.

He realizes there is silence on the other end of the phone.

"I apologize for my outburst officer. You said two mile south on 23 correct?"

"Yes sir, you can't miss it, the road is closed except for the emergency units and you of course."

"Thank you, I…thank you." His thoughts narrow, focusing on only one thing now. He has to get there.

He walks back into the meeting and whatever Cullen's words were going to be they're stopped by the look on his face.

"Sir, there's been an accident and I have to leave, Parker and Temperance…" His voice chokes and he freezes, for a few horrible seconds he is unable to even breathe. Cullen's eyes shift taking in the shock and panic written all over Seeley. His eyes are glassy, his fists are clenched and his spine is locked straight in military posture. The older man says a quiet prayer that the outcome is not as grim as it feels at the moment.

"Agent Booth, you are not to drive in this condition. Agent August will take you where ever you need to go with full lights and sirens." Booth just nods at him and the younger agent jumps up from his seat, scrambling to keep up with Booth as he strides rapidly from the building.

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Her arm is impossibly heavy and aching but she doesn't want to let go of Parker's hand. She pushes it down slightly, wedging it between the cushions to keep it from falling as she fights to stay conscious. She has come to the hard part of the story, the wolf's arrival. She attempts to speak as the wolf and erupts into coughing, that brings with it too much blood. She's dying, the thought settles in her like a coin dropped in the lake, something shiny spinning quickly yet sinking slowly within her. She's calmer than she imagined she would be in these circumstances as the future she will not have flickers like a frantic flame in the wind. She thinks of Seeley and how glad she is that she let him love her, that she let herself love him. The coughing subsides and her chest wheezes with each breath but she continues whispering the story as much for her own sake as for his.

"The wolf circles the straw hut with the pig trembling inside. He takes a deep breath and blows at the building. The straw flies away and the pig quickly runs next door to his brothers wooden house. They lock the door and wait, leaning against it just in case the wolf tries to break it down." She can't make the blowing sound and Parker must be aware of this because he would normally have stopped her and explained that the sound effect was required. She's trying to remember the story as accurately as possible, visualizing the book as she speaks but her mind feels strangely muddy and the cold creeping into her limbs can mean only one thing. She quickly shifts her focus back to the story as a fat tear rolls over her cheek.

"The wolf looks at the house of wood for a moment before blowing hard against it. The house trembles and the pigs squeal but nothing else happens. The wolf rises up on his hind legs and takes a deep breath, releasing a mighty wind that tears the wood frame apart. As the dust settles he sees the pigs running into the open door of their brother's brick house but as quick as he is the door slams shut just as he reaches it." She feels Parkers grip tighten as the tale of the pigs unfolds and she is grateful that she can do this small distracting thing for him.

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Seeley leaps from the vehicle almost before it has fully stopped. He breaks into a run past the barricades and the various vehicles, coming to a stop at the edge of the road as someone grabs his arm. It's the sight in front of him more than the man that stops him. He would not have recognized it if he didn't know what it was before hand. The silver car is destroyed, lying at an angle at the bottom of the hill. The hood is peeled back and the engine torn apart, the wheel is missing, the top has been crushed in and the rest of the car looks like someone took a large sledge hammer to it. He can tell that the impact was to the driver's side and front and in his mind a voice that could not possibly be his own whispers that no one could survive that, not that. For one horrifying second he see's it, in his minds eye, bouncing down the hill, tumbling, windows shattering as the roof collapses against them, the metal twisting and sparkling in the sun.

He thinks for a moment that he may throw up but the sensation passes and he steps forward only to be stopped by the forgotten hand on his arm. When he looks over he has the feeling this man has been speaking to him and he hasn't heard a word.

"Everything that matters to me in this world is in that car and I'm going down there." His voice starts out surprisingly stern but cracks and shakes as he finishes. He just now feels the tears running freely down his face. Sweat prickles the skin along his back and he flexes his shoulders in response.

"Agent Booth, the situation may be one you don't want to see. Why don't you wait just a moment, our team is almost to the car."

"They aren't dead. Do you hear me? They. Are. Not. Dead. Now I'm going down there." Seeley stares hard at this man he has never met and then pointedly drops his gaze to where the man holds his arm, watching the fingers loosen and slide away.

He kicks up some dirt in his hasty descent and feels it cling to his damp face. He slows himself as he begins to come across pieces of the car, almost tripping over the front bumper when it seems to suddenly spring up in front of him. He is mumbling as he makes his way over the debris and rocks, the terrain has become rougher and harder to negotiate as he moves lower.

He pauses and looks up, the blue sky mocking him with it's implications of a beautiful day. "_Please god, let them be alive. I'll do anything just please, let them be alive. Please don't do this, I can't take it, you know I can't. Not them, not both of them. Please, please, please_…" He turns to the car as the first of the crew bends to look inside and freezes, his eyes fixed on every move.

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Temperance is almost to the end of the story; the wolf is on the roof attempting to climb in the chimney where he is unaware that the clever pigs have started a fire below. A shadow dip into her one ray of clear light and a blue eye appears.

"Dr. Brennan?" The voice is gentle, male.

"Yes, please, Parker Booth is in the back. He's six years old. Get him out first and call his father, Special Agent Seeley Booth with the F.B.I. I'll give you the number."

"Agent Booth has been notified mam and we're going to get you both out." He has a soothing accent, Georgia maybe; she can't place it at the moment.

"My injuries, I'm not…it isn't good. Please get the boy out first, he's frightened. Parker? We'll finish the story another day honey, I promise." She doesn't know why she promises him a finish to the story when she doubts she'll be here to tell it. She stares at the man outside the car through the small opening until she's sure she has his attention, she can hear someone talking to him about the structure of the car. "Please, when you take him out of the car, don't let him see me like this." The eye dips and she knows he has nodded his head in understanding.

"Parker? Parker, my name is Tom and we're going to make some loud noise for just a minute. We're going to cut the top of the car off so we can get you and Dr. Brennan out. I need you to be very still for just a few minutes, okay?" He speaks to Parker but he never take his eyes off of her.

"Okay. Is my daddy here?" His voice is soft now, the tears from earlier returning. She squeezes his hand, and feels him hold on to her.

"He's on his way son. Dr. Brennan, where is he on the seat?"

"On the passenger side but toward the center, he's belted in to a safety booster seat; I like to be able to see him in the mirror when I drive." Her voice is rasping and she begins to cough, even in the dim light he can see the blood.

"Cover your faces and give us just a few moments to get you out of there." He stands quickly and speaks to a team holding a large piece of machinery. The sound of it roars across the hill as it comes to life.

Seeley sees the man at the window. He thinks he may be speaking to someone which means at least one of them is alive and answering questions. When the man stands, he holds his breath waiting to see what his directions will be. If he waves them up the hill, there are no survivors. As the crew begins to cut the car he snaps into motion, running toward it.

As he reaches the car the man that was bending over grabs him and pulls him back.

"I'm SEELEY BOOTH, THAT"S MY SON AND PARTNER IN THE CAR. HOW ARE THEY?" He is yelling to be heard over the roar of the motors, his heart hammering so loudly he thinks he can still hear it amidst the noise.

"I'm Tom Seeley and we'll be able to assess them in just a moment." The man speaks more firmly than loudly and Booth can hear him quite well. He turns to watch as they move the machine to the third corner of the roof and it bites through the metal with ease. Once the fourth corner is cut the metal shifts and Seeley holds his breathe. Several men on the team surround the car and count to three before lifting the roof straight up and off of the car. In that instant it reminds him of a can of sardines just as the top is pulled away. The scene inside the car is too much for him to take in all at once. His eyes skip around, Parker still has his head down and one hand is curled around Temperance's fingers which are shoved through the seat. His eyes move over her body before reaching her face, taking in the unnatural turn of her and realizing after a moment that she's covered in blood. The rush of light after being trapped in the dark has closed her pupils and her eyes are a startling blue, but the blood running down her face, the pain etched into her features and the grey pallor to her flesh make his skin go cold with fear.

"Daddy!" Parker has lifts his head and lets go of Temperance's hand, his other arm hangs oddly at his side. Seeley smiles at his son and steps toward the car but the paramedics are moving now.

He takes the hand Parker holds out to him, struggling against his seat. "Hold on a minute buddy, let the paramedics get you out and make sure you're okay. I'm right here."

He nods, "Dr. Bones, daddy's here, do you see?" Seeley glances in the front seat but her eyes have closed.

The tech looks up at him, "she's unconscious, which is probably better while we get her out of here. Her fractures are extensive and there are obviously other injuries." He looks at the other tech and nods, "Let's move." It seems like everything is happening quickly now and Seeley watches in horror as they struggle to stabilize Temperance and get her safely out of the car. He stays with Parker as they release him and strap him to a board and then a gurney but by the time they start back up the hill, Temperance has been loaded into an ambulance and is on her way. His entire body feels like a live wire, his heart constricting hard as he hears the whine of the siren fade into the distance. He blinks slowly, looking toward the sound, fighting the sensation that he is coming apart.

He's lost time because Parker cries out as they start an I.V. and he's sitting in the back of an ambulance with him but he doesn't recall getting there. As soon as the needle is in place they pull out onto the road. Seeley strokes the back of his hand.

"Daddy, where is Dr. Bones?" His voice is muffled by the mask that swallows the lower half of his face but Seeley hears him clearly enough to understand him. Parker's eyes are darting in fear and his father's heart breaks for him but the question makes his breath catch in his throat. He doesn't trust his own voice. The ambulance veers as it flies down the road and Seeley reaches out to hold on to the rail. Parkers good hand grabs his, terrified by the feeling of the vehicle swaying.

He takes a deep breath, letting the tears fall once again and focusing on his son. "She's at the hospital so the doctors can look at her."

"Why are you crying?" He's looking to his father for answers, for comfort and Seeley tries to pull himself together.

"I'm just relieved that you're okay buddy, they're happy tears." His son's dark eyes don't leave him, looking into him as though he has hidden the truth.

"She was telling me the story of the three pigs. In the car…when we couldn't get out. She's gonna finish it later." The image of Temperance trapped and bleeding, holding his son's hand and telling him a story to keep him calm is more than he can bear and he turns his head for a moment and squeezes his eyes closed. His phone rings and it isn't until he see's Rebecca's name on the caller i.d. that he remembers dialing her from the scene, after he knew Parker's condition and where they would be taking him. He told her to meet them at the hospital and the rest of the conversation is lost to him. He flips the phone and updates her on Parker, tells her they should arrive in just a few moments. When she asks about Temperance, he chokes and manages only to say he doesn't know. He shuts the phone and watches the steady rise and fall of his son's chest until they pull into the emergency bay at the hospital.

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Seeley opens his eyes, the glare of the florescent making him jerk his head down. He's in Parkers hospital room still waiting to hear about Temperance's condition. His watch says she has now been in surgery for seven hours and he slept for a whole twenty minutes. Parker is sleeping, his arm in a cast, his shoulder immobilized and a flush to his cheeks from the sedative. There's a small cut on his head and a shade of purple near the neckline of his gown that Seeley knows extends down across his small frame. It's a reminder from the seatbelt that saved his life. The tiny dinosaurs against the pale blue material remind Seeley of his pillow. He pictures it sitting on the floor in the back of the car and wonders briefly where it is now. He hears a muffled squeak and turns his attention to the cot where Rebecca lies sleeping. He knows he should go back to the lounge and check on the squint squad but he wants to know some news on Temperance first. Every question they had asked him when they arrived felt like he was being pelted by small stones and couldn't defend himself. He understood that they were concerned but he had nothing to give them.

He stands and quietly slips from the room to pace the hall for a moment and stretch his legs. The lights have all been dimmed for the night, the glow down the hall comes from the nursing station where he hears whispered conversation, the shuffle of soft soles and the shifting of paper accented by the occasional metal clang or whining cart wheel. He sighs deeply, no longer comfortable in his own skin without her near. This day has been filled with so many things that are normally part of his job but not part of his life. The familiarity of the atmosphere has left him with a haunting sense of déjà vu and yet in direct contradiction to that the day has been filled with overwhelming emotions. He isn't usually the family member being questioned, he's the cop asking the questions instead. He's on the wrong side of the looking glass today.

He looks up and sees Dr. Martin approaching from down the hall and his stomach starts a slow tumble. He spoke to him earlier when he stepped out to discuss how the surgery was going and what they expected to find. He had been very factual and completely devoid of hope, relying heavily on the idea that everyone was doing their best. After the doctor left him Seeley had walked into the rest room and promptly thrown up the snack Angela had made him eat.

She has to be okay, he thinks that he can still feel her, within him, within the world. If she didn't survive certainly he would have felt it, some part of him would know. The man in scrubs stops, Seeley can see a spray of blood spattered on the edge of his shirt and suppresses the urge to touch it.

"Mr. Booth," he nods and takes a slow breath. If Temperance were here she would correct him, he can almost hear her say, _it's Agent Booth. _Seeley wants to shake this man, to scream at him to hurry up, to feel some sense of urgency. Doesn't he realize that his words change lives and every second of hesitation leaves Seeley hanging in a twisted form of emotional purgatory?

"She survived the surgeries and is currently in intensive care. She broke a total of 27 bones, the majority in her feet and ankles but the most damaging in the ribs. She had multiple punctures to the lung, a laceration in her liver that was causing most of the internal bleeding and a tear in the sack the surround her heart. We removed part of the liver and repaired the rest. She has screws in both ankles and her left hip and a support plate on her left femur. My immediate concern is her lungs, they're filled with fluid from aspirating on her own blood and despite the re-inflation I need to see improvement there in the next 72 hours. We will also be keeping a close eye on her head injury to make sure the small bleed there doesn't continue and that there is no additional swelling of the brain. We have her on a respirator and are keeping her in a drug induced coma for the time being. We're taking everything one hour at a time but to be honest she had already lost a lot of blood when she came in so I'm surprised she made it this far. She's a fighter." With that he nods his head, shakes Seeley's hand and tells him he'll see him later in the day. It's almost three in the morning now so Booth wonders when _later in the day_ might be, exactly, but before he can ask the man is gone.

Dr. Martin's expression never changed and Seeley knows this is years of training. He does not offer a single look from which the family can glean hope where there is none. Seeley wishes he had Angela or Hodgins with him for this speech because he knows he missed a lot of what was just said to him. The doc seems to have only two modes for information, feast or famine. He walks slowly down the hall to update the entire team from the Jeffersonian while the information is fresh in his mind. The truth is there are only two things that really matter, she's alive and she's a fighter. His step becomes a bit stronger as he remembers Parker telling him that she didn't get to finish his story and finally Seeley smiles. For the first time since his phone rang 11 hours ago, he can take a breath knowing that her story isn't over either and they still have that shot at happily ever after.

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Not my usual genre, reviews are always appreciated. Thanks for reading.


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